At the time, Cyberview's managing director Dato' Faris Yahaya's (pic below) comments on the memorandum of collaboration (MoC) with Yen Global subsidiary Atilze Digital (Atilze) included: "We are setting out to develop Cyberjaya into a model 'Smart and Safe City' through IoT [internet of things] strategies. [We] will be working together to elevate the city towards being a 'Living Lab' to nurture and grow IoT talents and businesses.

LoRa is a low power, long range, wide area network (LPWAN) technology designed for Internet of Things (IoT) applications and services.

On 8 May 2017, Cyberview and Atilze's update confirmed that "Cyberjaya is now the first smart city in Southeast Asia to roll out a city-wide LoRa network to connect various IoT sensors."

Essentially, eight environmental sensors have been successfully installed in Cyberjaya with two more slated for installation by end May, said the partners.

This development will enable the provision of "detailed and reliable data on key environmental parameters, which include temperature, humidity, and air quality using PM2.5 sensors."

Atilze chief executive officer Gerard Lim said: "The installation of the environmental sensors improve and enhance the quality of living standards in Cyberjaya by providing accurate and detailed real-time data."

,The Air Quality Index (AQI) data provides localised and accurate AQI information to everyone, including schools, businesses, and governments," said Lim. "With this information, informed decisions can be made for the well-being of the people."

Measurements from these temperature and humidity sensors will better prepare the community from extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, which may potentially cause deaths. A study from Harvard and Columbia University has estimated that Southeast Asia's 2015 haze crisis may have caused 100,300 premature deaths.

The PM2.5 sensors installed in Cyberjaya also help to monitor and communicate Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in real-time. These alerts can help to allay certain medical problems such as asthma, chronic lung disease, chronic sinusitis and allergic skin conditions.

Users are now able to view the real-time data extracted from the environmental sensors from the public dashboard (see the CyberjayaMalaysia website).

Beginning of a Blue Ocean market

The environmental sensors are just the beginning and we are working very hard to deploy more IoT applications onto the Cyberjaya LoRa network and achieving our aim in positioning Cyberjaya as a living lab for smart city solutions," said Lim.